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BMW CEO Denounces Import Duties On Chinese Cars
In the US, import duties on Chinese cars are rising enormously, and trade tariffs are also under scrutiny in the EU. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse warns of negative consequences.
The European Union has for some time been taking a particularly critical look at Chinese-made cars sold here, including the BMW iX3. In the United States, people are so afraid of cars from China that the American government wants to impose very heavy import duties. These are all worrying developments, according to BMW CEO Oliver Zipse, who of course also has an interest in favourable trade between China and the West.
According to Zipse, BMW is committed to ‘an open market with free trade’. He emphasizes the importance of cooperation. “A 360-degree perspective would be better: 20 percent of all BEVs sold in Europe last year came from China. More than half of the cars came from Western brands, including BMW. Protectionism causes a spiral effect: tariffs lead to new taxes, with protectionism instead of cooperation. My more than thirty years of experience at BMW teaches me that solutions arise when we reach out to each other and when we are willing to make compromises ourselves.”
